Feature Story

Each corner of an Old Virginia Log Home is fitted and set up in the manufacturing yard to ensure a perfectly tight fit then disassembled and loaded on company trucks to be delivered to the customer’s completed foundation and sub floor.

OLD VIRGINIA HAND HEWN LOG HOMES Made The Old Fashioned Way

By Michelle Keller

Pennington Gap, Va.—Nestled in the Southern Appalachian Mountains in a town ‘where old things are not forgotten and new things are learned,’ Pennington Gap, Va., is home to log home manufacturer, Old Virginia Hand Hewn Log Homes Inc.

Reed Williams always knew that one day he would have a log home built. What he didn’t know was that he would be the one to build it and that by building it, the true craftsmanship of his labor would appeal to many and he would have a business built even before that home was finished.

When Williams started looking for a log home manufacturer, amid all the brochures he quickly discovered that their “best” just wasn’t what he had in mind for his home. Both his great-grandfathers,

The Eagle System is a unique design of hand hewn 6”x12” logs in White Pine, Western Hemlock and Hem-Fir in lengths up to 40-feet that are grooved to accommodate movement with the company’s distinctive chink board system.

Emmett Eagle and Joseph Williams, were craftsmen and builders of log homes, known in their generation as logsmiths. It was with this in mind that Williams and his wife Judy took a framing square and a level and went up the hill to a log house that was handcrafted by his great-great-grandfather, Ambrose Eagle, where they studied his technique. Incorporating technology and a few modifications, they developed a technique of their own that they would later name, “The Eagle System,” a fitting tribute to Ambrose Eagle.

Combining their own knowledge of construction with the experience of Reed’s father, “Babe” Williams, a retired coal miner, as well as his uncle, Bob Williams, a retired carpenter, they began building their first log home. Logs were hewn by hand, dovetail corners were notched on site right next to the foundation and each log was put in the wall one at a time. When the community saw the true hand crafted product that was going up, “word of mouth” spread fast. “The response was unreal,” Williams said. “Before our house was finished, we had orders for other log homes, and the rest is history.”

Every piece that goes into Old Virginia’s log homes is air-dried. It is due to their large inventory of logs and large storage area that they are able to provide air-dried lumber.

While there are three basic design plans to choose from, The Eagle System, The Williams System and The Huff System, the people at Old Virginia are happy to help and have designed many custom log homes. Their ‘down home’ personable staff work closely with each customer to make certain their log home dreams come true. From the receptionist to the draftsman, whether it is one of their own designs or a custom design, Old Virginia has a reputation for fine-tuning plans until they are exactly what the customer desires.

The Eagle System is a unique design of hand hewn 6”x12” logs in White Pine, Western Hemlock and Hem-Fir in lengths up to 40-feet that are grooved to accommodate movement with the company’s distinctive chink board system.

With the Williams System logs are hand hewn or planed to accommodate four different styles: 1.) A V-groove on both sides;

2.) Chinking on both sides; 3.) a V-groove on one side and chinking on the other; 4.) Each room in the house can be treated individually with chinking or V-groove as desired. The company’s customer planer sizes 6” x 12” White Pine timbers in lengths up to 16-feet to uniform 11-3/4” in height, simultaneously cutting a groove that houses a wooden spline to assimilate the customer’s choice of style.

All logs and materials used are graded under the supervision of Timber Products Inspection Inc. (TPI). Every piece is inspected a second time as the home is handcrafted.

Due to the numerous requests for a planed log with a rounded contour, the Huff System was created. While milled logs are often known for trouble spots in the manufacture of log homes such as leaky corners, cracks between the logs and air infiltration, this system solves those trouble areas. This system features a dovetail notch corner instead of a saddle notch or butt & pass. Old Virginia uses a log screw system that replaces spikes and allows the house to settle if there is shrinkage where all the fits will grow tighter. With so much controversy over which is better to use for air infiltration—spine or tongue and groove—the company integrates both in the Huff & Williams System.

Every piece that goes into Old Virginia’s log homes is air-dried. It is due to their large inventory of logs and the large storage area that they are able to provide air-dried lumber.

Logs are hand hewn then dried at least four months and are below 20 percent moisture content before being used in a log package. All logs and materials used are graded under the supervision of Timber Products Inspection Inc. (TPI). Every piece is inspected a second time as the home is handcrafted. Each corner is fitted and set up in the manufacturing yard to ensure a perfectly tight fit, then disassembled and loaded on company trucks to be delivered to the customer’s completed foundation and sub floor. Log homes are installed as they are unloaded by experienced company employees or company qualified contractor/ dealers, saving the customer the challenge of getting the logs to the site and properly installed.

Log homes are installed as experienced company employees or company qualified contractor/dealers, unload them, saving the customer the challenge of getting the logs to the site and properly installed.

Old Virginia’s “What You See Is What You Get” guarantee means exactly what it sates. “If the overall quality is not as good as our headquarters, we will offer a full refund and the house is free of charge,” Williams explained. “Our guarantee is simple and to the point, and we stand behind it.” Not only do they invite prospective customers to tour their facilities, inspect the models and even spend the night in their guest cabin, “while you’re here and if you feel up to it, you can even try your luck at hand hewing a log,” he added. Old Virginia Hand Hewn Log Homes was founded in 1981 with the goal to continue an American heritage—handcrafting authentic, Appalachian style log homes and to continue a family tradition. With a commitment to excellence over cost effectiveness, gratitude to the generations before them and an experienced knowledgeable staff, Old Virginia will likely be successful for years to come.

For more information about Old Virginia Hand Hewn Log Homes Inc., visit them at www.oldvaloghomes.com to view step-by-step schematics of their log homes, or contact 246-546-5647.

Due to numerous requests for a planed log with a rounded contour, the Huff System was created. While milled logs are often known for trouble spots in the manufacture of log homes, such as leaky corners, cracks between the logs and air infiltration, this system solves those trouble areas.

One of Old Virginia’s many available floor plans, The Rocky Top, is a popular weekend home or vacation pleasure spot. It includes a spacious great room with a fireplace and open kitchen area. A central staircase inside leads to a sleeping loft.